Dardania (Roman province)

Roman provinces after administrative reforms in the 4th century. Dardania in red.

Dardania (/dɑːrˈdeɪniə/; Ancient Greek: Δαρδανία; Latin: Dardania) was a Roman province in the Central Balkans, initially an unofficial region in Moesia (87–284), then a province administratively part of the Diocese of Moesia (293–337). It was named after the ancient tribe of Dardani which inhabited the region prior to the Roman conquests in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC.

Background

It is debated in scholarship whether the Dardani (or Dardanians), after whom the region was named, were an Illyrian or Thracian people.^[1] It has been suggested that the region was originally populated by Thracians who then came into contact with Illyrians over a long time period.^[1] Celts were present in Dardania in 279 BC.^[2] In 179 BC, the Bastarnae conquered the Dardani, who later in 174 pushed them out, in a war which proved catastrophic, with a few years later, in 170 BC, the Macedonians defeating the Dardani.^[3] Macedonia and Illyria became Roman protectorates in 168 BC.^[4] The Scordisci, a tribe of Celtic origin, most likely subdued the Dardani in the mid-2nd century BC, after which there is for a long time no mention of the Dardani.^[5] In 97 BC the Dardani are mentioned again, defeated by the Macedonian Roman army.^[6] Dardanian slaves or freedmen at the time of the Roman conquest were clearly of Paleo-Balkan origin, according to their personal names,^[7] noted as being mostly of the "Central-Dalmatian type".^[8] Dardania was Romanized early on.^[7]

Administration

After the Roman conquest, the pre-Roman Dardania eventually was organized into the Moesia province.^[9] During the reign of Domitian (81–96), in 86, Moesia was subdivided into Upper and Lower Moesia (Moesia Superior and Moesia Inferior).^[10] The old name of Dardania was used for a new province part of Moesia Superior.^[11] Ptolemy (100–170) calls Dardania a special district of Moesia Superior.^[12]

The Diocese of Moesia was a diocese established by Emperor Diocletian (r. 284–305). During his reign, the diocese included 11 provinces, one of which was Dardania.^[13] Dardania and Moesia Prima were established by dividing them from Moesia Superior, probably under Diocletian.^[13] During^[12] or likely after^[13] emperor Constantine I (r. 306–337), Dacia Mediterranea was created out of parts of Dardania and Thrace.^[13]^[12] The two new dioceses, Moesia and Dacia, were grouped into the new praetorian prefecture of Illyricum in the second half of the 4th century, which essentially covered the same area as the earlier Diocese of Moesia.^[14]

Religion

Little is known regarding Christianity in the Balkans in the three first centuries AD.^[15] Bishop Dacus of Macedonia, from Dardania, was present at the First Council of Nicaea (325).^[16]

Economy

According to the Expositio totius mundi (ca. 350), Dardania supplied Macedonia with cheese and lard.^[17]

Cities and towns

The main centres of Roman Dardania were Scupi (Skopje), Naissus (Niš) and Ulpiana (Lipljan).^[7] At the time of Moesia Superior, the towns in Dardania included Scupi, Naissus, Ulpiana, Therranda, Vicianum, Vindenis and Velanis.

The Romans occupied Naissos (Latin Naissus) in the period of the "Dardanian War" (75–73 BC), and set up a legionary camp.^[18] The city (called refugia and vici in pre-Roman relation), because of its strategic position (Thracians were based to the south^[18]) developed as an important garrison and market town of Moesia Superior.^[19] The Romans also founded a mining town named municipium Dardanicum.^[20]

Aftermath

Provinces in the Balkans in the 6th century.

The area remained part of the Eastern Roman, Byzantine Empire, after the Eastern–Western Roman split in the 5th century.^[21] Procopius (500–560) used the old Roman provinces to describe the geography of the Balkans. According to Buildings of Justinian IV, there were 8 new and 61 restored fortifications in Dardania.^[22] Dardania was a region in which Justinian's restoration process was predominant.^[23] In 518 an earthquake devastated Dardania, followed by famine that killed much of the population and weakened the Empire's defences.^[23] Slavs (Sclaveni and Antes) overwhelmed the Balkans in the 6th century.^[24]

References

1 2 Wilkes 1992, p. 85.
↑ Mócsy 2014, p. 9.
↑ Mócsy 2014, p. 10.
↑ Papazoglu 1978, p. 173.
↑ Mócsy 2014, p. 12.
↑ Mócsy 2014, p. 15.
1 2 3 Papazoglu 1978, p. 224.
↑ Papazoglu 1978, p. 245.
↑ Starinar. 45–47. Arheološki institut. 1995. p. 33.
↑ Balkanoloski institut (2008). Balcanica. 38. SANU. p. 30.
↑ Wilkes 1992, p. 210.
1 2 3 Mócsy 2014, p. 69.
1 2 3 4 Roisman & Worthington 2010, p. 547.
↑ Roisman & Worthington 2010, p. 548.
↑ Harnack 1998, p. 371.
↑ Harnack 1998, p. 80.
↑ Mócsy 2014, p. 299.
1 2 Syme 1999, p. 207.
↑ Petrović 2007.
↑ Wilkes 1992, p. 258.
↑ Mócsy 2014, p. 350.
↑ Curta 2001, p. 156.
1 2 Bulić 2013, p. 209.
↑ Curta 2001, pp. 84–92.

Sources

Bulić, Dejan (2013). The Fortifications of the Late Antiquity and Early Byzantine Period. The World of the Slavs: Studies of the East, West and South Slavs: Civitas, Oppidas, Villas and Archeological Evidence (7th to 11th Centuries AD). Istorijski institut. ISBN 978-86-7743-104-4.
Curta, Florin (2001). The Making of the Slavs: History and Archaeology of the Lower Danube Region, c. 500–700. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Harnack, Adolf (1998). The Expansion of Christianity in the First Three Centuries. 1–2. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 978-1-57910-002-5.
Mócsy, András (2014) [1974]. Pannonia and Upper Moesia (Routledge Revivals): A History of the Middle Danube Provinces of the Roman Empire. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-75425-1.
Papazoglu, Fanula (1978). The Central Balkan Tribe in Pre-Roman Times: Triballi, Autariatae, Dardanians, Scordisci and Moesians. Hakkert. ISBN 978-90-256-0793-7.
Petrović, Vladimir P. (2007). "Pre-Roman and Roman Dardania: Historical and Geographical Considerations" (PDF). Balcanica. Balkanološki institut SANU (37): 7–23.
Petrović, Vladimir P. (2007b). Дарданија у римским итинерарима: градови и насеља. Балканолошки институт САНУ. ISBN 978-86-7179-056-7.
Roisman, Joseph; Worthington, Ian (2010). A Companion to Ancient Macedonia. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-4051-7936-2.
Syme, Ronald (1999) [1935]. The Provincial at Rome: And, Rome and the Balkans 80BC-AD14. University of Exeter Press. ISBN 978-0-85989-632-0.
Wilkes, J. J. (1992). The Illyrians. Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-19807-5.

External links

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Late Roman provinces (4th–7th centuries AD)

History

As found in the Notitia Dignitatum. Provincial administration reformed and dioceses established by Diocletian, c. 293. Permanent praetorian prefectures established after the death of Constantine I. Empire permanently partitioned after 395. Exarchates of Ravenna and Africa established after 584. After massive territorial losses in the 7th century, the remaining provinces were superseded by the theme system in c. 640–660, although in Asia Minor and parts of Greece they survived under the themes until the early 9th century.

Western Empire (395–476)

Praetorian Prefecture
of Gaul

Diocese of Gaul	Alpes Poeninae et Graiae Belgica I Belgica II Germania I Germania II Lugdunensis I Lugdunensis II Lugdunensis III Lugdunensis IV Maxima Sequanorum
Diocese of Vienne¹	Alpes Maritimae Aquitanica I Aquitanica II Narbonensis I Narbonensis II Novempopulania Viennensis
Diocese of Spain	Baetica Balearica Carthaginensis Gallaecia Lusitania Mauretania Tingitana Tarraconensis
Diocese of the Britains	Britannia I Britannia II Flavia Caesariensis Maxima Caesariensis Valentia (?)

Praetorian Prefecture
of Italy

Diocese of Suburbicarian Italy	Apulia et Calabria Campania Corsica Lucania et Bruttii Picenum Suburbicarium Samnium Sardinia Sicilia Tuscia et Umbria Valeria
Diocese of Annonarian Italy	Alpes Cottiae Flaminia et Picenum Annonarium Liguria et Aemilia Raetia I Raetia II Venetia et Istria
Diocese of Africa²	Africa proconsularis (Zeugitana) Byzacena Mauretania Caesariensis Mauretania Sitifensis Numidia Cirtensis Numidia Militiana Tripolitania
Diocese of Pannonia³	Dalmatia Noricum mediterraneum Noricum ripense Pannonia I Pannonia II Savia Valeria ripensis

Eastern Empire (395–c. 640)

Praetorian Prefecture
of Illyricum

Diocese of Dacia	Dacia Mediterranea Dacia Ripensis Dardania Moesia I Praevalitana
Diocese of Macedonia	Achaea Creta Epirus nova Epirus vetus Macedonia I Macedonia II Salutaris Thessalia

Praetorian Prefecture
of the East

Diocese of Thrace⁵	Europa Haemimontus Moesia II⁴ Rhodope Scythia⁴ Thracia
Diocese of Asia⁵	Asia Caria⁴ Hellespontus Insulae⁴ Lycaonia (370) Lycia Lydia Pamphylia Pisidia Phrygia Pacatiana Phrygia Salutaris
Diocese of Pontus⁵	Armenia I⁵ Armenia II⁵ Armenia Maior⁵ Armenian Satrapies⁵ Armenia III (536) Armenia IV (536) Bithynia Cappadocia I⁵ Cappadocia II⁵ Galatia I⁵ Galatia II Salutaris⁵ Helenopontus⁵ Honorias⁵ Paphlagonia⁵ Pontus Polemoniacus⁵
Diocese of the East⁵	Arabia Cilicia I Cilicia II Cyprus⁴ Euphratensis Isauria Mesopotamia Osroene Palaestina I Palaestina II Palaestina III Salutaris Phoenice I Phoenice II Libanensis Syria I Syria II Salutaris Theodorias (528)
Diocese of Egypt⁵	Aegyptus I Aegyptus II Arcadia Augustamnica I Augustamnica II Libya Superior Libya Inferior Thebais Superior Thebais Inferior

Other territories
Taurica Quaestura exercitus (536) Spania (552)

¹ Later the Septem Provinciae
² Re-established after reconquest by the Eastern Empire in 534 as the separate Prefecture of Africa
³ Later the Diocese of Illyricum
⁴ Placed under the Quaestura exercitus in 536
⁵ Affected (i.e. boundaries modified, abolished or renamed) by Justinian I's administrative reorganization in 534–536

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